Freeing Forgiveness
by l'innocence
Summary: Two years after the Fortuna ordeal, Vergil randomly shows up in the human world a changed and broken man, seeking for his brother's love and forgiveness.
1. Blood and Tears

It was a rather dark and stormy summer's evening when he showed up, or rather when he was found. His entire appearance and demeanor were polar opposites of what they had been the last time Dante saw him. However he could hardly call that empty, mindless shell he had defeated his brother.

Vergil was severely wounded, paler (if that was even possible), and was nude. At first Dante couldn't believe his eyes. He had thought his twin brother to be dead a long time ago. His first reaction was to pull out his dual pistols. He was on high alert before he smelled the blood and then saw it. He stared at the bare and bloodied body before him for about an entire minute before he decided to move in. Dante kneeled down, put his guns away, and gave him a once over.

The good thing was that he was breathing, which meant his heart was bearing. The bad thing was that he had several wounds that weren't healing. Dante carefully rolled Vergil over and looked at his face. Besides the hollow cheeks, his face seemed fine. Speaking of hollow cheeks, his entire body was very thin. Dante sat there with slightly widened eyes as he took in his broken brother's appearance. He didn't know how to feel at that moment. His power-hungry twin brother was alive and needed a lot of medical attention. He felt happy, sad, angry, and scared, at the same time. Suddenly the sound of a sharp in take of breath and hacking coughs came over the sound of the pouring rain.

Dante was up in a flash with both Ebony and Ivory drawn. Lighting flashed in the distance as Vergil's eyes slowly opened. Vergil looked around in the darkness for less than a second before his back arched away from the cold, wet pavement, and he screamed. It was the most terrible sound Dante had the displeasure of hearing, so shrill and desperate. Tears forced their way out of Vergil's eyes as his back arched higher, and his breaths became short, raged gasps. His eyes squeezed shut as another piercing scream left his split, pale lips.

After what seemed like minutes, his weak body finally fell back down and was met by two strong arms. He was pulled close before being cradled like child. He whimpered hopelessly as his entire frame shook and trembled. Though the intense pain had died down, Vergil knew better than to celebrate just yet. Suddenly, warm droplets cascaded onto his pale, wet face, contrasting with the cool rain. The grip on his body tightened before he heard a sound break over the rain.

"...Vergil?"

His body tightened, already recognizing that voice. No matter how much he wanted to open his eyes, Vergil couldn't help but be skeptical. After all, he had been trickled multiple times into thinking he had found his way back to the human world and back to his brother. He didn't want it to be a trick this time. He desperately needed this to be real, for he needed a break from all the pain, a preeminent one. Vergil remained silent except for the whimpering and kept his eyes closed.

"Brother... I... I've missed you..." A warm, wet cheek nuzzled against his cold, wet one, followed by a few sniffs.

There was an awkward siface, for a while before another word was said. "...Brother... Is that really you?" Vergil finally rasped out painfully.

Dante squeezed Vergil tighter, drawing out a low moan of pain. He loosened his grip and stood up as another flash of lightening cracked through the sky. He apologized before slipping off his red leather coat. At this point Vergil decided to take the gamble and opened his once piercing icy blue eyes. The sight that greeted him brought about a long range of emotions: joy, disbelief, fear, relief, and especially regret. He simply stared up into Dante's handsome face as Dante wrapped his coast around him. When their eyes finally met, overwhelming emotion took Vergil over, and he threw his arms around his brother's neck and sobbed into his muscular shoulder.

Aside from a slight gasp, Dante said nothing and began his short journey home. His battered brother had gotten very close to the Devil May Cry, just a few short blocks away. Before they reached their destination however, the intense pain had returned, and Vergil's death grip around Dante's neck was slightly choking him and making him feel somewhat dizzy.

"We're almost there Verge. Hang on." Dante whispered into his brother's ear.

Vergil didn't hear him though. His mind was clouded by agony. His body arched against his brother's strong chest as he squirmed. He bit his lip until it bled as to not scream in his brother's ear, but that did nothing. Before a scream ripped free from his throat, he bit down into Dante's shoulder hard, muffling the scream. Dante gasped loudly in surprise.

"Ngh...Verge... We're almost there..."

Dante turned a corner and after a few swift strides he reached his place of residence. He pushed his doors open, went inside, turned on the lights, and locked the doors behind them. Vergil's teeth were still embedded in his shoulder when he sat him upon the red leather couch, and his arms were still tightly wrapped around his neck. He lightly tapped Vergil's cheek but didn't get a response. He tapped his cheek again and then began to pull his face away from his shoulder.

"We're home bro", Dante said successfully pulling Vergil away, and meeting his crazed expression. He placed a gloved hand on his flushed face, noticing a sudden rise of Vergil's body temperature. Vergil blinked a few times before pulling his thin arms off of his brother's shoulders. His expression was now more of disbelief than anything_. _This was really happening. He escaped hell and found his brother, the only remaining family member he had. What now? He hadn't thought this far ahead. He was pulled into a tight embrace before he having a chance to think of something to say. " Welcome back."

Vergil sat still, shocked at the whole situation. This was all real. He was at his brother's home, on his couch, in his arms. He took in a shaky breath as fresh tears welled up in his eyes**.**He hung his head in shame and guilt. "I can't believe you still consider me your brother...after all I've done to you." He whispered. Dante pulled away and looked at his brother's puffy, red face. With a few fingers, he tilted Vergil's head up to meet his lifeless gaze.

"Of course I do", he smiled lightly, " You still consider me your brother, don't you?" He got a nod as his answer. "No matter what you do, I'll... I'll always love you, Verge." Vergil just stared at his brother with wide eyes and lips that were slightly ajar. Dante stood up and headed to the stairs. "We can save the chit chat for later. We gotta get your wounds cleaned up, and I got something that can help you heal, alright?" Vergil nodded again. Soon Dante reached the top of the steps and disappeared from sight.

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**Author's Note**

**So what do you guys think so far? This is my second stab at this franchise, but this is the first story I'm posting. I haven't really decided exactly how I want their relationship to be like yet. I am so tempted to make this a yaoi, but I honestly think there are enough of those stories on here. Oh yeah Nero's gonna join in next time. I won't make any promises because classes start soon, but I will update! If you spot any grammar or spelling mistakes, feel free to point them out.**


	2. Breakfast and Blood

**Authors Note**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so glad you like it! I know you guys would love it to be a DxV fic, but I've honestly never written any yaoi before. Plus I'd like this story to be a little dark and serious. Like really serious. There will be violence and sexual assault, but I will provide warnings in advance and it won't be too graphic. **

**Anywho this chapter is a little longer so enjoy!**

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Cleaning Vergil's wounds proved to be a harder task than Dante had anticipated, if not a more awkward one. For starters, Vergil could hardly stand up on his own, so Dante had to join him in the shower and hold him for support. The walk-in shower wasn't large enough for two men, even if his long lost twin brother had lost a lot of weight. It didn't take much for their bodies to touch accidentally. It only took one jerking motion from his brother for their slick, wet bodies to touch, and that happened a lot in the few minutes that they stood there.

Secondly, he was in a lot of pain, not exactly excruciating, but enough that he wouldn't keep quiet. Dante didn't want his roommate to be disturbed out of sheep because of his brother. He could iimagine having to explain what was happening right now to the young man. That would've been so awkward, to say the least. After rinsing off Vergil's wounds, Dante applied soap all over his brother's thin figure, which proved to be pretty painful for him. His body jerked back again, causing his butt to gently collide with Dante's trimmed pelvis.

"Ah", Vergil gasped as the soap stung his wounds. His legs started to feel very weak and began to shake.

" Sorry. It'll be over soon. " Dante said in a soft voice. After rinsing Vergil off, the good part could finally begin, and hopefully the pain would be over. Dante noticed the trembling in his brother's legs and decided to end the shower then. He pulled the dark shower curtain aside and lifted his brother up to place him in an adjacent tub of warm, revitalizing water. When Dante had ventured upstairs earlier, he prepared this bath with one large vital star and a devil star, cruising them into the water. When Vergil's body touched the water he let out a deep pleasured moan. The water just felt heavenly! Vergil leaned his head back and closed his eyes, and Dante sighed in relief. Now that that was taken cared of, he could finally take his own shower.

After his shower and brushing his teeth, Dante pulled Vergil's snoozing body out of the tub. He looked so peaceful asleep. To his great pleasure and relief, his brother's wounds were nothing but faint scars now, and his body temperature had returned to normal. He let out a satisfied sigh as he wrapped a towel around his sleeping twin and one around his hair then left the room. At first Dante hadn't noticed how long his brother's snow white hair had gotten, probably because he had greater things to worry about. In his bedroom, he set his brother down on his queen sized bed and then got dressed.

"Well I guess I'll have to get you some clothes, huh?" Dante said to no one in particular. As if to respond to him, Vergil hummed in his sleep. Dante chuckled softly before a soft knock came at the door. "Yeah?"

"How was the mission?" A groggy voice inquired. He had obviously just gotten up.

"Mission?" Dante sounded really confused.

"Yeah. You said you had a 'little job to take care of', remember? Did you even go, or were you out drinking again?" He started to sound a little annoyed.

"Oh right the mission. Sorry, I kinda forgot. Had a lot on my mind. It was better than I thought it'd be. Not too easy and my coat's still in tact. " Speaking of his coat, he left it in the bathroom and the rest of his clothes.

"So what's the pay?"

Dante yawned, sat down on his bed, and looked at his brother. "We'll find out tomorrow, kid."

"I'm gonna go get somethin to eat. You want anything?" Suddenly Vergil started to cough, seemingly choking on his own saliva. He turned to his side without waking up, and stopped coughing. "Seriously man, you have someone over? I don't know how you do it. Aren't you exhausted?" Nero asked.

Dante smirked. "It isn't like that. I'll introduce you in the morning."

"No thanks. Do you want somethin or not?"

"Just some water." With that Nero went down the stairs, and Dante got up and headed for the door. When he thought the young man had gotten far enough, Dante snuck into his room. He went straight for the dresser and rummaged through the drawers until he found something that would fit his brother. When he did find something, he fixed the drawers and left the room how he found it. After dressing Vergil in navy plaid boxers and a black tank top, Nero knocked on the door and announced the arrival of the water.

Dante opened the door so that just his arm would fit through and took the glass. "Thanks." Nero said nothing and returned to his room for some more rest. Dante downed the water in one long swig and laid the glass on the nightstand. He decided he'd retrieve his clothes in the morning and climbed into bed. It had been decades since he'd shared a bed with Vergil. Memories of their nights together as children inundated his mind. A lone tear escaped his eyes, but before he could think too much about it, he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next day, Dante was surprised to see that neither Nero or Vergil had gotten up before him, seeing how it was nearly two in the afternoon. He washed his face and took his clothes out of the bathroom. It had been a while since laundry was done, so he decided to get it out the way now, or maybe later today. He was so hungry! He put his clothes in a hamper and then headed downstairs to the kitchen. Usually he'd have pizza for breakfast, but it seemed that Nero had eaten the rest of it the day before. He sighed as he looked at the contents of the fridge. He actually had a lot food for once. He took out three eggs, a red bell pepper, some ham, and half an onion. Dante could tell Vergil would greatly benefit from a home- cooked meal, so he'd cook.

After chopping up the onions, ham, and pepper, and beating the eggs, he started a pot of coffee. After that he started cooking. To his surprise the three omelets turned out pretty good. He placed the eggs on a three plates and then returned to the fridge and retrieved some sausage patties and hash browns to heat up in the toaster oven, when Nero strolled into the kitchen. "Mornin", he said stretching and rubbing his eyes.

Dante looked at the time displayed on the oven and smirked. "Afternoon, kid." He opened the door to the toaster and deposited the cold food inside.

Nero glanced over at the time and blinked in surprise. "Holy crap! We really slept in late." He grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee.

"Yeah, I thought you two would've gotten up before me."Dante closed the door of the toaster oven and twisted the dial. He grabbed a mug for himself and poured some coffee. Nero added some sugar and milk to his mug and began downing his drink. _Two?_ Neo thought, taking a seat. _Oh yeah his 'guest' from last night._

Dante added cream and sugar to his cup before grabbing another mug. He poured the steaming, black liquid into the cup and began adding the sugar and cream. "Three sugars, two creams", he recited to no one in particular. After all this time, he still remembered how his brother liked his coffee. Dante sat down and sipped at his coffee. They sat at the kitchen table in silence before the time on the toaster expired and a ding was heard. Dante got up and put the hot contents of the toaster onto a plate. Then he grabbed some silverware.

The younger devil hunter thanked him for the knife and fork he was given and started to dig in. Dante followed suit and devoured his food. After they finished Nero sighed in satisfaction. "Man that was good!" He said getting up to wash his plate and mug. "Who are you, and what did you do with Dante?" He joked.

"Well there's a first time for everything, I guess." He got up and grabbed a nearby tray, placing Vergil's plate of food, silverware, and cup of coffee atop it. "I wonder if we've missed any calls", Dante said thoughtfully.

"Who cares? It's the weekend. Nobody's in the mood for working." Nero said, leaving the sink and walking passed him.

"Heh, you got that right!"

When he got back to his room, his brother was still sleeping. Without closing the door behind him, Dante entered the room and sat down next to his twin's snoozing form. He sat the tray on the closest nightstand and waited patiently. Introducing him to Nero was going to be so awkward. Dante had his suspicions about Neeo's origins. He looked so much like them and somehow had their father's blood. He had even resurrected Yamato. It was possible that he could be his brother's son, but his age made it seen unlikely. He was 18, exactly half their age, and Dante seriously doubted Vergil fathered a child before or after their "heart warming family reunion", with a human no less.

He sighed. _What if he is the father, or what if I..._He shook his head and ran a hand down his face. Things suddenly just got even more complicated! Vergil always had a way of doing just that. Honestly Dante felt pretty guilty about not confronting Nero about it, but it wasn't like the resemblance was subtle or anything, and they shared a few personality traits. He cursed under his breath before he heard a soft groan. He turned around as Vergil finally woke up, slowly blinking open his eyes.

When his eyes fell on Dante's, he blinked a few more times, seemingly a little shocked to see him. Vergil honestly felt lost. This couldn't be real right? This was probably just another nightmare. He slowly sat up and inhaled. To his great surprise there were pleasant smells in the air instead of the usual scent of ash, blood, sweat, and sex. Vergil turned towards the smell and saw a tray of food about one foot away.

"I hope you like it. Cooking isn't really my thing." There was no response, but Vergil threw his long, thin legs over the side of the bed, now sitting side by side with his brother. "How'd you sleep last night?" He sat there silently for a while, not knowing whether or not to humor this possible imposter. He seemed so kind and realistic, so he decided to give him a chance.

Vergil finally faced him and gave a small smile."The best I have in a very long time."

To that, Dante smiled. "I'd sure hope so. It's almost three in the afternoon." Vergil's eyes widened a little. Before he could respond however, his stomach grumbled, causing a nearly unnoticeable blush to creep across his face. Dante leaned forward, picked up the tray, and handed it to him. "Eat up, okay?" He took the tray, and Dante stood up. "There's some more food downstairs if you want seconds, except for eggs." He headed for the door and heard his name, so he turned around. "Yeah?"

"...Where are you going?"

"Downstairs to shower. Nero likes using the one up here, and I don't really feel like waiting."

There was an awkward silence for a while before Dante turned around and was called again. "Brother?"

He answerer without turning around. "Yeah?"

"...Thank you." He remembered now! Dante had went through a lot of trouble to save him last night, and now he was in his home.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're welcome." With that said, Dante left the room and shut the door behind him. In the hallway he saw Nero walking towards the bathroom. He went downstairs and straight to the shower. The warm water cascaded down his body and relaxed his muscles, but did nothing for his racing mind. _First Nero now him. He seems different... Is this really Vergil? What happened to him? How'd he get here? Is he Nero's father? Why did I even bring him here? What now? Pretend nothing happened? _

Dante groaned and punched the tiled wall. "Why doesn't my life ever get any easier?" He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. Honestly his brother was probably still very dangerous, and he didn't want to put Nero in that kind of danger. Dante finally turned off the water but lingered around a little while longer. He really needed to calm down before going back upstairs.

Nero left the upstairs bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and went into his room, shutting the door behind him. He went to his dresser and opened his underwear drawer. He peered inside and immediately noticed that something was amiss. Something was obviously missing, and he knew exactly who to ask about it. _What would he want with my underwear?_ Nero wondered with annoyance. There was no way that any of his clothes would fit the older man. Just then Nero heard slow footsteps ascending the stairs and the sound of a door closing. _Right on cue._

Nero pushed the drawer shut and left his room. Without so much as a knock, Nero opened Dante's door and entered. "Hey Dante, have you..." Nero stopped talking as he realized that this man was not Dante. He looked just like him, but his hair was much longer, and he was much thinner. The man just stared at Nero for a while before moving his gaze to his right arm. Just then his arm started throbbing. The soft blue light it emitted became far brighter, and then it started to hurt.

Nero hissed through gritted teeth and placed his left hand on his demonic arm. "W-who are you?" He asked, struggling to remain calm. His arm throbbed again, and it glowed brighter. "Ah!" Nero never felt anything like this before. A blaze of demonic energy engulfed his demonic arm before it shot out and grabbed the pale stranger. He inadvertently squeezed his hand around the man as sharp pain continued to pulse through the limb.

"Ah!" Both men said in unison. Nero tried to let go, but he had no control over his arm at the moment. Nero felt like he was being drained, and to his dismay, he was. His demonic energy was being transferred to other man, but he looked as confused as Nero did. Apparently this man hadn't caused this, not on purpose anyway. The man struggled in his grasp but soon found himself feeling weak. His body wasn't strong enough to hold all this power right now.

"P-please... Let go..."

"I...can't...ngh..." _What the hell is this?_ Nero thought while holding back a scream. Just then, his arm throbbed violently and an explosion of energy was released from his body, throwing both men back and causing the door to slam shut. The other man fell on the bed, which provided a soft landing for him. However, Nero wasn't so lucky and hit the wall hard with a strangled cry, before crashing to the floor. His towel laid against the wall in a heap, exposing him as he lied flat on his stomach.

The door slammed open shortly after, and Dante stepped inside. The scene in front of him wasn't very alarming at first. Besides his room looking like a tornado had just come through it, nothing seemed off. Vergil seemed to be sleeping again, but then he smelled _it _again. _Blood?_ He thought. He stepped in further and closed the door. He gasped in surprise when he saw the young man's naked body on the floor. "Nero?" He kneeled down and then noticed his right arm. It was no longer demonic in appearance.


	3. Mottled Memories

**Authors Note**

**Hey guys! I really want to apologize for the delay. I won't lie, I procrastinated a lot, but that was becuase I had major, and I nean MAJOR writer's block. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was a lot of work honestly, but it was fun.**

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Dante looked down at Nero's arm with a blank expression, wondering how this could have possibly happened. He picked up the limb with both hands and looked it over. There was no damage that Dante could see. The arm was just slightly paler and more muscular than the other. The fingernails on this hand were also much longer, overgrown even. Dante then turned his head towatds the wall, but something silver shimmered in the afternoon light and caught his attention.

Yamato's thin and dangerous blade shined on the hardwood floor, just mere feet away from the silver haired teenager. Dante then turned his head towards his sleeping brother with a deep frown. _You did this_, _didn't you_? He thought angrily. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, and he was already causing trouble. What had he expected anyway, that Vergil had changed? It had seemed so from what Dante had seen so far, but apparently he was wrong.

He returned his gaze to the wall and noted a distinctive dent. Flakes of beige paint decorated his floor and parts of Nero's body. From these observations, Dante quickly pieced together that Nero had hit the wall. Suddenly, the faint smell of blood tickled his nose again, and he returned his gaze to the sword. There was no blood on it (thank God), so he glanced back at Nero's bare form. There was no blood on him from behind, so Dante carefully turned him over and quickly looked at him from head to toe. The only speck of blood came from a busted lip that was already healed. Dante also noted that he was breathing normally, which was another good thing, but his face was contorted in a pained expression.

Dante retrieved Nero's forgotten towel and covered him up. He sat there for a few moments glancing around the room in deep thought before his eyes fell on his brother. Dante then stood up and swiftly walked over to him. He too wore a pained expression and lied perfectly still. Dante noted that there was no blood on him , before it finally hit him. _He's not breathing_! He quickly placed two fingers on his neck and felt a slow, weak pulse.

The situation just went from not so bad to horrible. He glanced at Nero as he started CPR. His mind started racing again. _This doesn't make any sense_! He thought as he performed several chest compressions. He fixed his gaze back on his brother. _What happened_? He tilted Vergil's head back and gave him two breaths. He pulled his lips away and began the second cycle. "Come on Verge. Come on" , he demanded through gritted teeth.

Things were definitely complicated. From first glance, one would've probably guessed that the hot head and the ice prince had fought each other for Yamato. It would've made sense since Vergil loved that sword to no end. It would've also made sense for him to have been defeated, seeing how he had no weapon, and he hadn't exactly been in tip-top condition. However Nero was also unconscious, and his demonic arm was gone. Why? And why was Nero in here in the first place?

Dante closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. _This isn't helping. Just concentrate on this_. He told himself. He administered two more breaths and then started cycle three. After about two more compressions Vergil took in a deep breath and began to cough. Dante sighed and wiped his forehead in relief. His breathing returned to normal, and a quick check of his pulse confirmed that his heart beat had too. To his slight dismay, Vergil didn't wake up, but he decided that he wanted to hear what had happened from Nero first. Besides, Dante figured his brother could use the rest.

Dante sighed again and decided to get dressed. When he was fully clothed he heard a soft groan. He quickly turned his head in the direction of the sound and let his silver-blue eyes fall on Nero. Dante made his way over to the young man without a word and knelt. Nero groaned again before his ocean blues slowly fluttered open. He blinked a few times then looked up at Dante from underneath his lashes and smiled. "Hey", he said.

"Hey kid. What are you doing in here?" That was the first question that needed to be answered. Nero never entered his room without permission, or a good reason at least.

Nero looked around the room before answering. "I was looking for you", he replied, after some thought.

"Why?" This one actually seemed to stump Nero, so Dante concluded that his memory was a little fuzzy right now. "Come on. We'll talk in your room", he said, offering him a hand. Nero reached out his left hand, and Dante couldn't help but feel a tad relieved. Apparently, he hadn't noticed his right arm yet. Knowing him, Dante could only speculate his possible reaction. Nero had come a long way with it, and though it was ugly, annoying, and sometimes even brought him deep emotuonal pain, it was an important part of him.

Dante pulled him up and let him exit the room first. He then picked up Yamato and followed after. Nero would notice his arm soon enough, and Dante thought it'd be best for the teen to breakdown (or whatever he'd do) in his own room, away from his brother. When he entered Nero's room he found him rummaging through his dresser. He pulled on a pair of dark boxers underneath his towel before pulling the towel off.

"You could've at least let me get dressed first, ya'know?"

"I've seen you in worse conditions, kid. Besides I didn't tell ya to get dressed. I said we'd talk."

"About what exactly?" Nero pulled on a thin plain white tee.

"Why you were in my room and what happened in there."

Nero turned around to respond but spotted Yamato in Dante's hand. "Where'd you get that?" He asked, dumfounded.

"It was on the floor next to your unconscious body." Nero made a confused face before Dante continued. "You said you were looking for me. Do you know what happened to you...and your arm?" _Here it comes_. Dante thought.

Nero looked down at his right arm and gasped. His eyes surely would have popped out of his head if it were physically possible. The room fell silent for a long time as Nero absentmindedly blinked at the sight of a perfectly normal human arm. Nero stood there staring at his arm, until Dante said something. He turned his head towards the older man but didn't respond. He hadn't even heard a word of what he'd said.

"Kid? You okay?" He repeated himself. This certainly wasn't the reaction he had expected.

"What happened to my arm?" He asked quietly.

Dante sighed. "I was hopin' you could tell me, kid. Before I could get back to my room, I heard a scream and a thud and felt a wave of demonic energy. Were you fighting or somethin'?" Nero took in a deep, shaky breath and shook his head. "Do you remember anything?" Nero just stood there, breathing heavily and lowered his head. Dante sighed again and made his way over to him, placing the sword atop the dark wooden dresser.

The young man shook his head again as Dante wrapped his strong arms around him. They stod like that for a long time before Dante spoke again. "It'll be okay. You've gone through worse things before, right kid?" Nero slowly nodded his head against his shoulder. "We'll figure this one out together, just like last time. Okay?"

"I guess", Nero whispered, trying to fight back the unpleasant memories that his friend's words brought forth. They had been in embraces similar to this one several times since Nero had moved here. Sometimes, though he was afraid to admit it, he saw Dante as much more than just a friend and rival. He almost considered him family.

"And look at the bright side." Nero lifted his head and made eye contact. "You don't have to wear those hot , sticky gloves anymore." A small smile curled his thin lips as a single tear fell from his left eye. Nero turned his face away before rubbing his eyes viciously, and Dante chuckled. He pulled his arms away and ruffled the teen's hair a bit.

Nero pursed his lips in protest. "Now what?" He asked, turning around. He returned to his dresser and opened another drawer.

"Take a rest and try to remember what happened, I guess."

He pulled out a pair of blue jeans and pulled them on. "But I'm not tired." He pushed the drawer closed and peered into the opened one underneath. _Wait that's it_!

"Well then just try and remember." Dante said and turned around to leave. He wanted to give him some time alone to digest everything. Knowing him, it could take a while. Before he could take one step though, his arm was grabbed.

"Wait, I remember now." Nero practically exclaimed.


	4. Troublesome Theories

**Author's Note**

**Wait what? Two updates within a week's time!? Yeah that's right peeps! I felt bad for making you guys wait so long, so I figured I'd treat you guys. I won't lie this one's a little... Uh long and IDK it doesn't feel right to me. I apologize in advance about the overall pacing of this story guys. But anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

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Nero stared at Dante as he mulled over everything he'd just told him. Nero had never seen the older man in such deep thought before. They sat there on Nero's bed in silence for a long time. He just sat there patiently until his stomach grumbled, drawing Dante's attention.

"You hungry?"

"Obviously. We've been sitting here for like two hours." Nero crossed his arms expectantly.

Dante looked at the wall clock and then returned his gaze to his roommate. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna say somethin'?" Dante merely blinked. "Cause I've got a lot of questions, and you're the only one I can ask."

"Not necessarily."

"...You want me to ask him?"

"...Not necessarily."

"Stop saying that. "

"Sorry." Dante truly was. He was still tryng to figure out everything in his head and was failing miserably at multitasking.

"So who is he anyway?" Dante made a face. Why hadn't he told him that already? "Come on, tell me already."

"...He's my twin brother, Vergil."

Nero nearly fell off the bed. "You have a twin, seriously?"

"You saw him, didn't you? And I told you I had a brother."

"Yeah, but you haven't really told me that much about him." He lied down and smiled. "There's two of you."

Dante gave a sad smile. "If only the world was so lucky."

"What do you mean?"

Dante thought of a way to explain everything without actually saying much. "Our likeness is only at the surface, kid. We're nothing alike in character", he said quickly.

Nero wondered what he meant by that exactly. By the expression Dante wore, he guessed it meant nothing good. He decided not to press on about it. "So...why'd you steal my underwear anyway?" He asked instead.

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." Dante rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well?"

"Somehow sleeping in a bed next to my naked twin brother wasn't very appalling."

Nero blinked. _Naked_? "What happened to him?"

Dante shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't ask."

Nero sat back up. "You didn't ask? Aren't you worried? What if something terrible happened to him?"

"Well I'm pretty sure some pretty messed up stuff happened to him where he was at, but he'll tell me when he's ready."

Nero thought about Vergil's appearance for a while. He was so thin, sickly even, and his skin was really pale. Now that he thought about it, Vergil had a lot of scars too. Nero had never seen anyone like that before (No one living). _Where exactly was he?_ Nero thought. Suddenly, Dante tapped the boy's face with the back of his hand. "Huh?"

"You're thinking too much." Nero merely blinked. Dante chuckled and stood up. "He'll be fine. Now, how about we get something to eat, hm?" He stretched and yawned.

"Haven't you figured out what any of this could mean yet?" He looked at his right hand.

"We'll talk after dinner."

"Okay...well can we get pizza today?"

"Really? I thought you hated pizza, kid. Have you finally succumb to reason?"

Nero stood up and stretched as well. He wasn't going to admit that he actually did like pizza now. "It's just been a while", he said.

When they reached the first floor Dante noticed he had voicemail on his answering machine, so he listened to it.

*You have one message from...Ms. Johns, received at 1:43 PM. Hi Mr. Dante. I just wanted to thank you for your services yesterday. I was truly impressed with how quickly you were able to come through with such short notice and how quickly you were able to finish. I left your payment in the mailbox since I was unable to reach you. I'm sure you won't mind the little bonus I left for you. Take care.*

After the beep, he erased the message. "Hey kid, did you that?"

"Yeah." Nero said leaving the kitchen. "Should I go get it?" He sipped on a can of soda as he entered the office area.

"Sure, since you offered." Dante said, sitting down behind his desk and putting his feet up. He slammed his foot on his desk, sending the receiver flying into the air, and caught it. Nero unlocked the front doors and stepped outside barefooted as Dante dialed the number to his favorite pizzeria and leaned back in his chair.

"Hey. Let me get the usual with some wings." He listened for a few moments and then laughed. Nero came back inside with a thick manila envelope. "No I'm paying it off today." Nero tore the envelope open and poured the money on the desk with wide eyes. "Yeah alright." Dante hung up the phonee, looked at the money in front of him, and grinned.

"I think a 'little bonus' was an understatement." Nero said, smiling. He picked up a handful of money and started counting it, and Dante took the rest and did the same. "I got 1110." Nero said finally. He put the money down and took a few gulps of his carbonated beverage.

"Well, looks like she doubled my pay", he said putting the rest of the money on top of the desk. "That makes three grand between the two of us, thanks to me."

"Oh shut it." Nero said, hoping to end his bragging before it got any worse.

"You know it's true." Dante pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a notebook and a black pen. He flipped several pages of the book before scribbling something down.

"So how are we looking this month?"

"Pretty good, if I do say so myself." Dante flashed a charming smile and rubbed his chin. Nero rolled his eyes. "No but seriously, at this rate we'll have a few grand left over."

Nero smiled then looked around the room. "So, you think we'll be able to get some new lighting in here this time?"

"Sure."

"And fix the plumbing of that thing you call the guest bathroom?" Nero sat at the edge of the desk, facing the front doors.

"Yup", Dante said, putting the pen and notebook away.

Nero took another sip of his drink and thought for a second. "And-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. We still need to eat, you know. If there's enough cash left over, maybe I'll get you that TV for your room. Maybe..."

Nero turned his head to face him. "Maybe? That's hardly fair. We both know what that means."

"Tough luck kid. Maybe if you had bills to pay , you'd understand."

Nero recalled offering to pay rent when he first got here, but Dante had adamantly declined. He decided not to bring it up, just in case the older man decided to change his mind. "You always get what you want", he muttered instead.

"Since when?" Dante asked raising a brow. Nero remained quiet. He couldn't think of anything honestly. "I hardly get the stuff I need, let alone what I want." Dante let that piece of information settle itself head Nero's head for a while. There was an awkward silence until the pizza arrived, and after the order was paid for and the tab paid off, it returned.

Nero stared at Dante as he ate his second slice of pizza. Dante sipped on a dark bottle of beer, and that same expression from earlier was plastered on his face again. _What is he thinking so hard about_? Nero wondered. He drank the rest of his soda and belched really loud. He purposely said nothing to see if the older man would respond, but he didn't.

Dante took another swig from his drink before actually touching his food again. He hadn't eaten much of his pizza, which was not like him. Dante noted that Nero had probably noticed his strange behavior. The two men made eye contact, and based on the look Nero gave him, he had noticed. "Something wrong?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You've hardly eaten anything."

Dante took a large bite of his pizza and began to talk win his mouth full. "I'm fine." Nero wasn't impressed nor convinced, but he didn't press on. They continued to eat in silence and avoided each other's gaze. After Dante finished his first slice he picked up another and took a bite. He dreaded that after this meal, he'd have to tell Nero what he thought about the "arm incident."

After Nero had told his side of the story, Dante had come up with two theories that could possibly explain what had exactly happened and why. The first one was fairly simple yet flawed. Nero's arm had housed Yamato, Vergil's precious sword. It was possible that it reacted to him when Nero walked into the room. The problem with this theory was that the whole arm had been affected. Why wouldn't have Yamato just manifested itself in Nero's hand? After all, Yamato hadn't caused his demonic arm to apear, so why would it have destroyed it?

The second theory was the one Dante honestly didn't want to share. It was more likely that the Devil Bringer itself had reacted to Vergil. He already had a hunch that Nero was Vergil's son. Based on that, it would be possible that Nero's arm reacted because of their blood connection. Nero had told him a long time ago that his arm had reacted right before Dante had crashed into the church. If they really did have a blood connection, it could explain that as well. However, Dante was still skeptical about this hunch of his, or maybe just scared to death that Nero was in fact his child. In that case, this theory wouldn't make much sense either. _But why would it get destroyed_? He pondered. That was the only thing he truly couldn't answer.

Dante finished his second slice of pizza and quickly downed the rest of his beer. He didn't know why, but he suddenly really wanted to get wasted. Maybe it was to forget these theories of his, or to forget that his evil twin brother was in his home right now. Dante sighed, drawing Nero's attention. "You want another?" He asked, sliding off of the desk.

"Yeah, thanks." Dante laid his empty bottle on the edge of the desk, and Nero picked it up. Normally, the teen would scold him for being a drunk, but for some reason he didn't seem to mind him drinking tonight. Nero returned from the kitchen with another bottle and handed it to him.

"I'm only letting you have this cause you got us that bonus, okay?". He said returning to his position atop the desk.

Dante chuckled, opening the bottle. "What are you my wife or something?" He took a long drink.

"You'd be lucky to have a wife like me."

Dante laughed, nearly choking on his alcoholic beverage. "Oh really? I don't see how having an eighteen year old male as a wife would be considered lucky." He took another swig from his bottle with a smirk on his face.

Nero groaned. "I didn't mean it that way, you jerk." His face flushed with a hint of anger as he grabbed a buffalo wing.

"Oh?"

"Just forget about it, jeez." Nero muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed. Date always knew how embarrass him to death, or make him as furious as a fireball. However, he also knew how to cheer him up when he felt like utter crap. Nero d had efinitely benefited from Dante's last skill those first several months of him staying here. Suddenly those dreadful memories tried to reel their ugly heads back to the surface again, but he really didn't want to think about them right now. He took in a shaky breath and took a small bite of his food.

Dante looked up at Nero and immediately recognized the expression he desperately tried not to wear. He only made that face when he thought about her. Dante feigned ignorance and took a wing as well. He proceeded to stuff his face and decided to say something. "Hey I'm just messin' with you, kid", Dante said in a softer tone, but the "kid" said nothing. "Nero?"

He turned his head to the sound of his name. "Hm?" Dante rarely ever called him that.

They stared at each other awnile before Dante finally broke eye contact. "Are you gonna finish that?" He looked down at the piece of chicken in the other's hand.

Nero blinked. "...What? Why wouldn't I? And why are you even worried about my food? There's still a lot left." He looked pointedly at the still-full platter of meat then back at Dante, who smiled. "...What?"

"Nothin'." Dante said, taking another wing. _It worked_. He thought. He had to remember to go easy on him. Though Nero would never admit it, Dante knew he was still in a volatile state ever since what had happened. This little talk they were going to have after dinner might not go over well with him, at all, and that honestly worried Dante, a lot.

They ate in silence for a little longer, until Nero wiped his hands with some cheap napkins and stood up. Just then a wave of demonic energy flooded the air, slightly shaking the rickety building. Dante looked up at the ceiling before meeting the questioning gaze of his roommate. "I'm guessing you felt that." Nero nodded. "Well judging from the amount of energy that was released, he probably just entered his demon form." He paused as the energy quickly left the building's atmosphere. "And now he's out of it."

"That's strange", the young man said, walking around the large wooden desk. "What was the point of that?"

"I don't know. My brother's pretty complicated. I can't always explain his actions." He said stretching.

"Well I'm gonna use the bathroom. We talkin' afterwards?"

Dante swallowed hard. "...Yeah." After the bathroom door clicked close, Dante sighed heavily. What was he going to tell him exactly? He didn't reallyknow exactly what had happened, but he'd said they'd talk. _Maybe I should just lie to him_, he thought, but that left an awful taste in his mouth. Dante sighed again, placing his head on folded arms atop his desk.

He had to tell him, but he didn't want to screw things up because of something that could very well be false. Dante racked his brain for anything, anything that could make a difference at this point. Nothing explained why Nero's arm was destroyed. A while ago, Dante had believed that Nero's arm was either possessed by Vergil or that Nero was his reincarnation altogether. For whatever reason, Dante had decided that none of those theories were probable, and now that it turned out that Vergil wasn't dead, they seemed even more unlikely.

Nero had said that he'd felt like he was being drained before the "explosion". If it were at all possible that Vergil's power had been in the Devil Bringer somehow, then that could explain a lot of things. It could explain why Nero had been able to resurrect Yamato, why that old psycho had believed him to be a descendant of Sparda, and why it had disappeared with Vergil's arrival. The only problem was that Dante hadn't ever been able to pick up his brother's essence at all, even when Nero used Yamato. It just didn't add up. Dante and Vergil could sense each other as long as they were in fairly close proximity to one another, which meant within a mile or two. In fact, he had sensed him yesterday in the rain.

Dante sighed again, for the millionth time and decided he had no real answer for his roommate. He would have to just tell him what he thought, and that would be it. Dante sat up and picked up another buffalo wing. They had already gone cold, but he didn't mind. He heard the bathroom door creak open and the soft sound of footsteps making their way towards him. Nero appeared from behind him and made his way to his seat. Dante decided to keep it casual instead of lecturing and let Nero ask his questions first.

It was hard trying to answer all his questions, seeing how he wanted an explanation to just about everything. After that Dante decoded to spill the beans, all of them. He started off harmless of course, explaining his first theory first and the abandoned ones second. Then he dropped the bombshell. Of course he said it pretty quickly, but that didn't make a difference, at all. There was silence for about ten seconds before he reacted.

"What?" Nero tried to meet his roommate's eyes again, but he really couldn't. He stared off into space instead and blinked. Dante really didn't want to repeat himself. He could see that the damage had already been done. Before Dante could think of something to say, Nero stood up. "You think...one of you... are..."

"Maybe", Dante nearly whispered, "but I'm probably wrong."

"Probably wrong? What the hell does that mean anyway!? You still don't know for certain."

"Exactly", he said in the calmest tone he could manage. "I don't know. I have no evidence and could be wrong."

"No evidence? You're looking at it!" They made eye contact for a brief moment. Dante took in the young man's appearance. His blue eyes, his snow white hair, basically everything was theirs. "You can't deny that." Nero said turning around and heading up the stairs. Surprisingly, Nero didn't slam his bedroom door. In fact, it didn't sound like he closed it at all. Before Dante could stand he heard the sound of boots on hardwood. Nero came back down the stairs with his dark denim coat and brown leather boots on.

Dante sighed. "Where are you goin', kid?"

"Don't call me that." He said opening the door. This time he did slam it.

_I need another drink._

* * *

**Don't worry next time we will get back to Verge and his struggle. Sorry! I know he's been like background noise as of late. Sorry again.**


End file.
